


15 things about you

by Imaed



Series: RoyEd Week [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Loss of Limbs, M/M, RoyEd Week 2019, Slow Burn, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-20 19:50:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20233432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaed/pseuds/Imaed
Summary: On a hot day of June, Roy is tasked with civilian protection. Roy, who has been in the army for almost 13 years now and in this country for 19 month in a row, is so blasé that he just nods distantly. He should have known better.Royed Week 2019Day 1





	1. Chapter 1

On a hot day of June, Roy is tasked with civilian protection. Roy, who has been in the army for almost 13 years now and in this country for 19 month in a row, is so blasé that he just nods distantly. He should have known better.

When Roy saw him he couldn’t help saying « who the fuck would let a child in a war zone”? The History will remember Edward Elric answer but for confidentiality purpose his words cannot be retranscripted. Let it be said Roy almost lose his job on the spot.

It’s not his first tour, it’s not his first war reporter even but Edward is unique in a lot of ways. Roy learn a lot of him in a little less than a year.

First of all he has a temper that can rival any warlord of this desert. He witnesses it his very first day when some of the platoon tries to coddle him (or to extort money from him Roy was never sure).

(He asked if Roy was his fucking babysitter when they met. Roy almost answered they would fuck alright as long as the kid would not cause too many troubles).

Second, he has no notion of chain of command. NONE! As a civilian it is not a big problem, except when the guy refuses to listen to basic safety measure. This is how on their third or fourth day of visit he ends up losing the kid in the middle of a village (an allied one, Roy is not stupid, thank you very much). He found him talking with the native, giving them news from their family from social media, asking questions about their life in a war zone (how did he do that Roy has no idea, the few time the local accepts to talk to him it’s to ask him to leave).

Third, Edward is insanely smart. He has basic understanding of everything! Except politics. He fixed most of their equipment in a matter of weeks because he was bored. He tricked most soldiers into a card tournament (Roy is almost certain he counted the cards). He explained the basic of thermodynamic and astrophysics to the local school on his official day off. He almost started a riot with an eastern clan when he said their chieftain was a traitor to the cause. He is almost as exhausting as fascinating.

Fourth, he is a brilliant writer when he bother to write. When things get better between them (when they start to understand who they really are) Ed reads his letter to his little brother. If Roy could write like that he certainly wouldn’t be a soldier. Roy asked him one night why Ed chooses to be a war reporter instead of an author. Ed answered he had always needed to know the truth even when it hurt. Roy was just a little braver he would have asked why.

Fift, he is a terrible dancer. (It’s not exactly unique but at this point it might be handy to add Roy has a crush on him. Shut up.) Once, on the rare moment they are alone, an old radio blasted some jazz. Roy could not help himself and they danced until it was dark. (Roy end their little session with a sore feet and a sore heart).

Sixth, he is loyal to a fault… (Roy is never going to forgive himself) during the sixth month Roy almost walks on a landmine. Ed pushes him before it detonates and loses a leg. It takes almost 27 hours to send him back to a decent hospital. The doctors say his chances of waking up are unlikely.

Seventh, Edward has a brother just as smart as he is. He makes three phone calls and says Edward will be seen by the “best medic they know”. The fact that she is also 21 is irrelevant. She patches Ed up like she has been a surgeon since birth.

Eighth, Edward has the worst timing. He wakes up while Roy is away (he left the hospital bed 9 hours in the 5 weeks of Ed’s coma what the fuck). Alphonse was here (thank god he didn’t wake up alone).

Ninth, Ed is a madman wants to go back as soon as his prosthesis is ready. For the first time Roy experienced Edward’s worst temper. They fight for days (he is evacuated from the hospital twice and they only allow him back because Edward ask them or blackmail them) until Roy has no energy to hide his feelings anymore.

He shouts, in the least suave moment of History, to “shut the hell up and listen for once, I fucking love you, you imbecile!” If he had any dream it would end well (maybe with a kiss, a man can fantasize) he is brutally awaken.

Tenth, Edward has commitment issues the size of America (the continent not the United States). He is also the most stubborn man Roy has ever met. Many (many) years later he learns it's not comitment that constitue the problem, it's the abandonment. But at this time he has a ring in his socks drawer and he is waiting for the best time. (Another of his finest moment since he has to throw the ring at Ed's face while shouting his feelings again).

It ends eventually, the fighting and shouting at each other because (eleventh) Alphonse is terrifying and Edward is afraid of his wrath (and from this day Roy too; and he is been to war four time !)

Twelveth, Ed loves food and would do anything to avoid hospital food. Including but limited to jumping from the 2nd floor of his room with a fucking missing leg. When Roy sees how blasé Alphonse looks it just clicks in Roy's head : Ed will never slow down for anyone (thirteenth) and there is nothing Roy can do to make him stop. So he better suck it up (Ed's words) and accept it already (Alphonse calm demanor is not an absence of temper he learns). 

Fourteenth, Ed is a fervent defensor of "action speaks louder than words". Roy doesn't know of course, not in so many words, but he stays. He stays during the worst moment, when the pain is so intense Ed just want to kill himself, when he is so depressed he feels like he will never walk again, when he cries himself to sleep. He stays until Ed smiles again. 

Fifteenth, Ed know how to slow down (he knows he can kiss slowly, tenderly when he wants to) ; he knows how to be considerate and quiet. He knows how to be supportive and unabrasive. 

Only to the people he loves though...


	2. The smell of Green, the taste of your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RoyEd Week  
Day 2
> 
> "Is it your personnal mission to be the worst asshole in existence?"
> 
> "Surely there is worst than me. I have a few name in mind" answers Roy with a sad smile. 
> 
> "Ugh, you're right"
> 
> "Don't sound so disapointed."

Of all his life, no one ever called Edward level head. Which is why he is very surprised when he receive a call from Riza of all people to help her fing the missing General. 

Of course Ed says yes. It is not in his nature to let down a friend, especially one as dear as Riza Hawkeye. Finding a missing person is rough, Riza told him there is no trace of fight in his appartement, so the Bastard must have been willing (and alive) when he left. 

The question is, did he leave his home by himself or under someone threat ? 

As a head of security, Riza is looking for the latter possibility. 

As Roy's boyfriend, Ed have to look for the former. 

Ed would love to say he knows Mustang enough to just 'know' where the bastard is - his favorite place - but the truth is, Ed has no idea. 

So he proceeds factually. 

Roy is blind, if he decided to leave his home he would do so by taking a known road. So Ed starts investigating Roy's work comute. 

If he is sad or angry he will not go far because it's not easy to navigate while lost in thought. Of course if he is happy he probably took a cab so his point is moot, but whatever. 

If he wasn't upset Roy would have told Riza, reasons Ed, or leave a note. 

So not too far and on a familiar ground. He left his appartement so he probably needs some air or to 'see' a different scenery. 

There is two coffe shop and one park on the walk. If the Bastard is emotionally compromised he will want anonimity or at least the luxury of not being watched. So the park.

Ed finds his stupid boyfriend in less than 20 minutes. He stops at a payphone to call Riza and promises her he will raise Hell against the Idiot. 

Then he sit by the said Idiot side, on a bench in the park. He is freezing his ass by the way. It's fucking January and the sun has been down for hours. Hence the search. 

"You have upset the lieutnant" he starts. 

Roy who had tense when he sat suddenly relaxed.

"When don't I upset her?" he says back. 

"Is it your personnal mission to be the worst asshole in existence?"

"Surely there is worst than me. I have a few name in mind" answers Roy with a sad smile. 

"Ugh, you're right"

"Don't sound so disapointed."

They stay silent for a moment until Ed's patience runs low. 

"Shouldn't you be asleep at your age ?" he tries for some levity.

"I will sleep when I'm dead."

So the Bastard is all about Seriousness. All right then.

"What's got you moping?" Never a better result than putting your foot in your mouth. Or is it in someone else mouth ? Ed never understood the expression. 

"Nothing"

Ed breathes in and tries to rein his temper. He takes Roy's hand in his and starts playing with the fingers.

"It's almost 2 in the morning and you are in the middle of nowhere. It is obviously something."

"I can't..." He doesn't finish.

"You can't what?"

"Complain. Not to you."

He sounds sheepish, almost shamefull.

"Isn't it kinda the point? In dating I mean; can't we talk about stuff?"

Roy winces.

"It's riddiculous."

Ed scoffs and take a long breathe. The air is cold and he suspects they will be on this bench for a while.

"Still 2 in the morning. Also punched a fucking dwarf in a flask who thought it was god. I'm so over riddiculous shit now."

"I..." Roy hesitates, Ed doesn't know what he is afraid of. Judgement ? Laugh? 

"Come on" he presses.

"I miss color."

It is surprising to hear such a little thing become the source of such great shame. If it was daylight Ed is sure he would see Roy blush. 

"I don't get it" Ed says. 

"It's nothing. I just... I was thinking about how I would dress for our next date and I could not remember the color of my dress shirts. I got... unexpectedly upset about the idea."

Roy plays nervously with both their hands, tracing the marks and enjoying the feeling of skin against skin.

"I don't care you know that right?" says Ed.

"It's not the point" says Roy irritated. "The point is, I don"t remember what green is anymore."

Ed contemplates the idea of living in a world without color. 

"You said you didn't want to admit it to me. Why?"

Roy looks at him - or near him anyway - and his face is expressing a lot of emotion. One of them is the typical 'are you seriously asking such a stupid question?' that Ed hasn't seen in a while.

"Ed, you lost twice as much as me to the Truth. What should I complain? I still have my legs, I can still practice Alchemy. I have no right to complain."

Ed wishes he could hit him and not just because he hates it when Roy talks at him like a patronizing asshole. 

"It's not a competition, every loss is equal. Also I have help, mechanic leg remember? My pain is not bigger than yours, neither is yours bigger than mine."

"How do you live with it? How do you forget it's here?"

"Your brain is so weird. I can't forget, that's the point. I have phantom pain and chronic ache when it rains. I have to take extra precaution when I leave Central because the weather can be fatal to my limb and cause a septis or freeze or burn."

" I have seen you without the automail, you get by just fine."

"I was 11 when it happened.I'm 22. Took me a while to get used to it. It wasn't always easy."

"I don't know if I can live without it."

"Of course you can, you just learn to see or do stuff differently." 

He thinks furiously, let his brain enter the troubleshooting mode. 

"You said you didn't remember green right? he says thinking out loud. 

Ed stands up and pick a blade of glass. He puts it in Roy's hand.

"Here, smell that. It's green."

Roy obeys without conviction.

"You can't see colors but you can smell them, taste the, touch them. That's how you live with it. You don't let it define how you experience the world."

"It's... reasonable."

"Can we go back inside now? I'm freezing my butt."

Roy stands up and delicately touchs Ed's cheek. His fingers caress the round skin and travels to his neck. Roy then gets closer and closer until he can smell Ed's hair (Ed hates how the size difference is still so important between them but he has no hope it will be caught now. He waits for the long game now, maybe Roy will shrivel with age).

The exploration continue, silently, sensualy, with focus. 

"I miss the color of your eyes" admits Roy in a whisper. 

"Your sister told me they look like whisky, I'm sure we could make you taste them" jokes Ed.

Roy smiles and suddenly his mouth is very close from Ed eyes. It's intimate and strange but Ed is so used to weird he barely notice. Roy's tongue is soft and wet around his lid. 

"What are you doing?"

"I'm defining the world on my own condition."


End file.
